Detergents are used for cleaning various types of fabrics and hard surfaces. Enzymes, such as protease, amylase, and lipase may be used as detergent additives to improve cleaning efficiency. Protease hydrolyzes proteins into soluble amino acids. Amylase catalyzes the break down of starch-based stains into smaller segments of oligosaccharides and dextrins, which are water soluble. Lipase hydrolyzes triglycerides into mono and diglycerides, glycerol, and free fatty acids, which are more soluble than fats. These more soluble reaction products may be more easily removed from fabrics and surfaces, increasing the cleaning efficiency of the detergent used.
Natural microbial isolates may be used to produce enzymes, and these natural sources may be obtained from different environments. Urban areas sometimes dispose of waste in wetlands, and environmental samples from these waste dumps may contain a richly bio-diverse source of microbes.